Ok, so let me just say that the response to this has been AMAZEBALLS. (Thank you, Michelle Ward, for turning me on to that one, by the way.) I mean, I knew you guys would be into it, and I also knew you all had some pretty amazing stories to tell, but HELLO. My inbox is flooded with heartwarming, well thought out, totally surprising, totally inspiring proposal stories that had me sitting on the edge of my seat yesterday with a tissue box at the ready. And I have to say – the most surprising thing of all, so far? The stories that have come in from the guys out there. I don’t know how you came upon the site, where from or who recommended you visit, but I am SO GLAD YOU FOUND ME. Because your proposal stories/photos/videos are RULING. And by the way? The stories I’m getting from all my females out there are equally as awesome – please don’t get me wrong, ladies. I just felt compelled to give a z100 shout out to the fellas submitting their love-laden stories to the blog. I didn’t expect it and it has made my year! (Seriously, just wait until you read/see/watch these things. I cannot wait to share them all!!!)

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MARKETING & FIANCÉS

Fun fact: the fiancé has been mostly a back-end guy (SHUT UP) when it comes to the site here. However, recently he’s been trying his hand at a little TKB promotion. He asked me some time ago for a handful of my business cards, with the intention of handing them to engaged girls near his workplace. Every day he says he sees ladies with huge rocks on their fingers and he calls them all “missed opportunities.” (In a business sense, not a nailing sense, obvs.) He’s really serious about this, and because I admire his business sense, and have always felt I can trust his public and interpersonal appropriateness, I thought, hey, why not? It’s not my first choice marketing approach, but he certainly wasn’t reinventing the wheel. Well, last night I saw him in action…

Scenario one: He spies a young woman with a ginormous engagement ring. STOPS in the middle of the crosswalk. RUNS TO CATCH UP WITH HER. She’s listening to music and walking briskly. Taps her on the shoulder and somewhat smoothly shoves the card in her face. RUNS AWAY FROM HER AND BACK TO ME.

Scenario dos: notices a young couple sitting a couple tables away from us at dinner. Asks me: “can you tell if she’s wearing just an engagement ring, or both an engagement ring and a wedding ring?” Me: “Why.” Him: “You know why.” I’m already a little wary of what’s about to go down, but I decide to go along with it, and I peer over to check her finger. It’s dark, I’m half-committed to the operation anyway, and so I can’t make out anything. Me: “Can’t tell.” Him: I THINK IT’S ONE… I’M GOING FOR IT…” Me: “No… wait, WHAT? No… ok fine.” (He’s already up when I say ok fine.) She gets up, he asks her if she’s engaged or married… WEIRDED. OUT. She says, “umm… I’m married.” He still gives her the card because how weird would that have been if he just walked away from the scene?! Card wasted? check. Girl sufficiently weirded out? check. Valiant, if misguided, effort by the fiancé? check.

I took the remaining cards back. Actually, I didn’t have to say anything – he handed them over.

I am rethinking this approach. But even more, I’m waiting for these girls to leave comments on the blog. I expect they will go something a-like a-this:

“umm, hi alison, I like your site, I’m glad some random dude accosted me on the street/while I was enjoying dinner with my husband in a restaurant and shoved your card in my face. I know I gave him the dirtiest of looks when he turned around, but your business card is kickass and I just had to visit. So all in all, a win-win!”

Quick reminder that Father’s Day is June 20th this year. So if you’ve got a Hubby or Popsicle (that’s what I affectionately call my Dad; yeah, you can steal it) who deserves a little special treatment, DO SOMETHING for him. No pressure. But keep in mind the fact that the World Cup games may be slightly more important to the man than family time in a cabin upstate. Just sayin’. She learned the hard way.

xoxo! -Alison

I almost forgot to ask: what are your thoughts on today’s obsessions – any standout faves? And if you don’t feel like talking about that, then what are your plans for Father’s Day, if any?